User Reviews

Jerry Winton has just lost a bundle at a casino in Deauville, France. After his lost, a seemingly shady character named Davos follows him to the bar and offers him a lot of money if he will meet him at a certain address in two hours. Winton agrees. The address Davos gave him opens into a courtyard that has a nice fountain- the "silver curtain" of the title. Davos enters the courtyard, screams and is soon found with a knife in his back. Winton had rushed toward the sound of the scream - no one else is in the courtyard. The only doorway to the courtyard is a doctor's office; both the doctor and his patient rushed to the door when they heard the scream and saw no one but Winton, who loudly protests his innocence, in the courtyard. The story then shifts to the police inspector and March. March had been in the casino observing Davos as part of his investigations into the paranormal and also had seen Winton at the casino. There is this great scene between Davos and March. Davos is at the bar, March comes up and says to Davos "Do you mind if I sit down?" Davos replies "Not at all." Davos then downs his drink, stands up and without another word, leaves. I have never seen such a magnificent snub. March's reaction to this is also perfect - he grins and shakes his head. It took me a moment to recognize Arthur Hill and it was his voice that first sounded familiar. It was nice seeing him fairly early in his career. I much enjoy Karloff in this series and wish more episodes than two were readily available.

Episode 24, "The Silver Curtain" marks the fourth and last appearance of Eric Pohlmann as Inspector Goron of the Surete (fifth overall, including "The Second Mona Lisa"). Also back for the second straight episode is Germanic villain Anton Diffring as Davos, shifty as ever, luring an unlucky gambler, Jerry Winton (Arthur Hill), to the address of Dr. Edouard Hebert (John Chandos), on a promise of money for a little shady business. Colonel March has spent several days in Deauville observing Davos as he consistently wins at the roulette wheel, but refuses to divulge any secrets. Winton follows Davos as they arrive separately at the doctor's home, an entrance in front of a beautiful fountain, when suddenly, a scream rings out, and Davos lies dead at the front door, a knife in his back. Winton discovers a wallet in the victim's hand, with both the doctor and his visiting patient, Eleanor Rood (Christine Pollon), claiming to know nothing about the deceased. Inspector Goron has no choice but to arrest Winton, who continues to protest his innocence, especially after March denies having seen him in the casino. The 'Silver Curtain' refers to the fountain itself, one of the more noticeable props on the show, which means it should figure in the denouement. Diffring is excellent, though dispatched all too soon, while Canadian actor Arthur Hill, a future Tony Award-winning Broadway performer, was making his television debut some five years after beginning his movie career. As always, Eric Pohlmann is a delight, matching Karloff step for step in their witty byplay (this is the sixth and last time that Ewan Roberts as Inspector Ames does not appear).

An American in Paris, down on his luck encounters a strange man at a Casino, a bizarre meeting between the two leads to a death.

I enjoyed this one, it's a clever plot, and some very interesting points. Sometimes the episodes in this series can be a little formulaic, this one is far from that, it follows no real pattern of any kind.

Always nice to see Goron in an episode, I believe this was his final appearance on the series. Great to see Anton Diffring in an episode, he was silent in the last I'd seen him in, so much charisma.

It was always going to be interesting to see just how the fountain was going to play a part, and it did.

Very good, 7/10.

THE SILVER CURTAIN is a tale from the midway through the Colonel March TV show and sees a variation on the usual locked room murder mystery. The victim is none other than Anton Diffring playing a slimy crook who shows up before being bumped off straight away, leaving an innocent man blamed for the crime. The twist is that there was no sign of the suspect who planted a knife into Diffring's back.

This story once again sees March inexplicably in France, which means he teams up with Eric Pohlmann's Goron once more. The murder is a tidy little thing and even if the explanation is a little lacklustre, it still fills up the running time well enough.

Jerry Winton lost a bundle in a casino in France. Later he is arrested for the murder of a man called Davos. He was found with a knife in his back and Winton was die to meet him.

Colonel March could provide Winton with an alibi but March claims not to have seen him.

Luckily for Winton. Inspector Goron senses that March might be lying as March was investigating Davos.

The Silver Curtain is a fountain at the house where Winton was due to rendezvou with the shady Davos.

It was a rather so-so story. I did think the reveal as to how the murder happened did not make that much sense.

It was good to see a young Arthur Hill who plays Winton.